Suns' Kevin Durant out at least one week with ankle injury
03/31/2025 03:00 PM
Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant underwent an MRI on Monday that revealed a left ankle sprain and he will be sidelined for at least one week with only seven games left in the regular season, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Durant suffered this ankle injury in Sunday night’s 148-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. While driving to the rim about halfway through the third quarter against the Rockets, Durant stepped on Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot and rolled his ankle.
Upon going to the ground and immediately grabbing his lower left leg in obvious pain, Durant was helped off the court and went straight to the Suns’ locker room since he was unable to put much weight on his leg. He was ruled out upon leaving the game since he wasn’t able to take his free throws.
Here's a closer look at the ankle injury Kevin Durant just suffered:
Hope KD's okay pic.twitter.com/58Y4rzW6sjhttps://t.co/cNbbrTe5jY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 31, 2025
After the game, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer was questioned about Durant’s health. Budenholzer gave little information in the immediate aftermath of the game other than that his star was to undergo an MRI on Monday and would not travel with the team to begin their upcoming three-game road trip. Phoenix is scheduled to play on Tuesday night on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.
This injury to Durant is yet another slap in the face to what has been a horrific season for the Suns.
Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and Durant have spent limited time on the court together because of injuries, and a sense of dysfunction has clouded the Suns throughout the 2024-25 season. Phoenix is currently 35-40 after Sunday’s 39-point loss at home to Houston and is 1.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings for the final play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.
The Suns and Kings will meet in the final game of the regular season on April 13.
In 62 games this season, Durant has averaged 26.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 43.0 percent from three-point range. Should he miss the remainder of the regular season, Durant will be ineligible for any end-of-season awards or All-NBA honors, as he will need to play in at least 65 games to qualify.
Without Durant on the floor this season, the Suns have gone 2-11.
Whether or not this was Durant’s final game in a Suns uniform is the biggest question around the NBA ahead of the offseason. Although the 36-year-old star still has one more year left on his contract with Phoenix, Durant will be the center of offseason trade talks around the league.
Before the trade deadline in February, the Suns attempted to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat in a trade that would’ve paired him with Durant and Booker. Unfortunately for Phoenix, these attempts to trade for Butler created fractures and rifts within the organization, specifically with Beal and Durant, since the Suns held extensive trade conversations with teams centered on the two stars.
The 15-time All-Star was on the verge of being dealt back to the Golden State Warriors, where he spent three seasons and won two championships, before the trade deadline. If it weren’t for him stepping in at the last minute and telling the Suns’ front office that he didn’t want to be traded, this three-team deal involving the Heat, Warriors, and Suns would have likely been completed.
Now, Durant’s future in Phoenix is uncertain. Between the organization’s struggles over the last few seasons and this injury, what happens with Durant will be the main storyline the Suns carry into the offseason.
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